Fahir Atakoglu

You can easily hear the jingle-writing, soundtrack-composing side of this Istanbul-born pianist. There's a certain density of emotion that contrasts with the ambiguous, elusive nature of a lot of modern jazz. And that's all to the good, especially when the guy can play his ass off, too, recalling Chick Corea, Dave Brubeck, and the dude from The Bad Plus. After many years' success playing commercially in Turkey, Atakoglu is only just starting to get noticed in U.S. jazz circles. And with perfectly chosen sidemen--bassist Anthony Jackson and drummer Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez--giving his music both heft and flight, his highly likable fusion of international styles should be a well-deserved hit. MARK D. FEFER